macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install globallocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install globalMacPorts ports tree · devel/global/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install global with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, zypper
Source code tag system. Version 6.6.15 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-22.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install globalDebian stable package indexes · global · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install globalFedora Rawhide package metadata · global · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#globalnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/gl/global/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S globalArch Linux sync databases · global · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install globalopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · global · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/globalScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/global.json · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Source code tag system
Project links
Commands and aliases
- global
- globash
- gozilla
- gtags
- gtags-cscope
- htags
- htags-server
history
Project history and usage
GNU GLOBAL is a source-code tagging and navigation system centered on `gtags` databases and the `global` query command. It indexes source trees so programmers and editor integrations can jump to definitions, references, files, and generated hypertext views.
Project history
GNU GLOBAL's distributed README identifies it as a source code tagging system for diverse environments and carries Tama Communications Corporation copyright years beginning in 2000. The README describes support for GNU, BSD, macOS, and other POSIX-compatible systems, with language support originally focused on C, Yacc, Java, PHP4, and assembly.
GNU FTP release archives show the 6.x series beginning in 2011 and continuing with small compatibility, parser, security, and editor-integration releases. Later NEWS entries document Universal Ctags support, Pygments parser work, SQLite configuration choices, Emacs TRAMP support, and security fixes for generated HTML workflows.
Adoption history
GLOBAL became part of the GNU developer-tool family for users who wanted a tags system broader than classic ctags. Its command set integrates with Emacs, Vim, cscope-style workflows, shell completion, and generated HTML browsing, which made it useful for large C and mixed-language source trees before language-server tooling became common.
Package-manager adoption across Unix-like systems reflects that niche: GLOBAL is not a compiler or build tool, but it is a durable code-navigation utility that developers install on workstations, build hosts, and source-analysis environments.
How it is used
Practitioners run `gtags` at a project root to create tag databases, then use `global` to query symbols, files, references, and completion data. Companion tools such as `gozilla`, `htags`, `gtags-cscope`, `globash`, and `htags-server` connect those databases to browsers, shells, editors, and cscope-like interfaces.
The package is useful when a source tree does not have a language server, when developers need fast offline symbol lookup, or when generated cross-reference HTML is more convenient than editor-only navigation.
Why package nerds care
GNU GLOBAL is package-nerd significant because it packages a whole source-navigation workflow as small POSIX command-line tools. It also illustrates a long-lived GNU pattern: simple generated databases, editor adapters, manpages, Texinfo docs, and optional parser plug-ins rather than a background service.
Timeline
- 2000: README copyright range begins, matching early public GNU GLOBAL development.
- 2011: GNU FTP archive lists GLOBAL 6.0.
- 2017: GLOBAL 6.6 release line began.
- 2021: Emacs TRAMP support added to `gtags.el`.
- 2024: NEWS documents a command-injection fix in `htags`.
- 2026: GLOBAL 6.6.15 released.
Related projects
- GNU GLOBAL is related to ctags, Universal Ctags, cscope, Emacs gtags modes, Vim integrations, Pygments parsers, and source cross-reference generators such as LXR-style HTML browsers.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 5 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
global | cli | global executable | |
globash | cli | global executable | |
gozilla | cli | global executable | |
gtags | cli | global executable | |
gtags-cscope | cli | global executable | |
htags | cli | global executable | |
htags-server | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version6.6.15
manager updated2026-06-22
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.gnu.org/software/global/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.gnu.org/software/global/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:global |
|---|---|
| Version | 6.6.15 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/global |
| Homepage | https://www.gnu.org/software/global/ |
| Repository | https://savannah.gnu.org/cvs?group=global |
| Upstream docs | https://www.gnu.org/software/global/globaldoc_toc.html |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/gnu/global/global-6.6.15.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22T14:03:34-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libtool, ncurses, python@3.14, sqlite, universal-ctags |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | global |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
global 6.6.13-1
Source code search and browse tools
https://www.gnu.org/software/global/global.html
sudo apt install global- Section: devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 6 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
Nix95%
global
nix profile install nixpkgs#global- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
Ubuntu apt95%
global 6.6.11-1
Source code search and browse tools
https://www.gnu.org/software/global/global.html
sudo apt install global- Section: universe/devel
- Architecture: amd64
- 6 dependencies
- 7 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
dnf95%
global 6.6.14-1.fc45
Source code tag system
https://www.gnu.org/software/global
sudo dnf install global- License: GPL-3.0-or-later and LGPL-2.0-or-later and LGPL-2.1-or-later and BSD-3-Clause and MIT and LicenseRef-Fedora-Public-Domain and blessing and GFDL-1.2-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: global
- 9 dependencies
- 4 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
dnf95%
global-ctags 6.6.14-1.fc45
Integration of Universal Ctags and Pygments with GLOBAL
https://www.gnu.org/software/global
sudo dnf install global-ctags- License: GPL-3.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: global
- 4 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
pacman95%
global 6.6.14-1
Source code tagging system
https://www.gnu.org/software/global/
sudo pacman -S global- License: BSD-3-Clause AND GPL-2.0-only AND GPL-3.0-or-later AND LGPL-2.0-or-later AND LicenseRef-CALDERA AND LicenseRef-PD AND MIT
- Architecture: x86_64
- 4 dependencies
- 5 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
zypper95%
global 6.6.14-1.2
Common source code tag system
https://www.gnu.org/software/global/
sudo zypper install global- License: GPL-3.0-only
- Category: Development/Tools/Navigators
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: global
- 8 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
MacPorts95%
global
sudo port install global- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
Scoop95%
main/global
scoop install main/global- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Global
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment